Torque
by C. Hawthorne
Summary: Time's a fair-weather friend. I've found you, Toshiro. I hope that this time, I'm spared.
1. The Year 2012

* * *

Torque_,_ an **xSilverWingsx **fanfic

_She was lost at sea; he felt ensnared by the under-toe. After that first meeting their paths were meant to be paralleled, but by some glitch in fate it happened, over a slew of days that went by with frightening speed. When it was over, she yearned to be in his arms. HitsuKarin, IchiRuki, Renji0C._

**Prologue:** The Year 2012

* * *

Karin Kurosaki pulled her hair into a simple ponytail and frowned at the stubborn strands that hung loosely over her face. Nothing wanted to cooperate with her this morning; even her bed had refused to stay neat. _It's me against the world, _Karin thought dryly as she pulled on her knee highs and slipped loafers on after them.

The humid morning air seeped in through the window, thickening the already stuffy atmosphere. Karin's room used to belong to her older brother Ichigo, who had moved out as soon as opportunity struck. The shinigami now lived in a dormitory at Okino College downtown. Granted, things were a lot quieter around here now that he was gone, but she had to admit that it'd been fun watching his squabbles with their father.

Rukia was gone too; she had left the year before Ichigo because her 'family' wanted her back. Whatever, Karin knew that Rukia was also a shinigami. Lately, more and more people seemed to be.

As soon as she arrived at school, Karin promptly took her usual shortcut so as to avoid Jinta Hanakari. The obnoxious redhead took no greater joy than in pestering her, because Ururu tended to be in class already. Jinta was, of course, three years their junior; only thirteen but still endlessly irritating.

Karin entered Algebra class, relieved that she'd been able to avoid Jinta thus far. The classroom was empty with the exception of her twin sister Yuzu, whose honey colored hair was braided swiftly. Yuzu always prettied herself up in the mornings as much as humanly possible, because she 'was getting older and blossoming into a beautiful flower', or so their idiot father had said.

"Karin-chan," Yuzu asked, "where is Ururu?"

"Beats me," Karin said, pulling her binder out onto one of the gray desks as other students milled into the classroom.

"Hi! Hi!" Yuzu greeted all her friends with that endlessly cheerful demeanor that Karin didn't possess.

"Okay, class!" said Miss Ochi, whose crows' feet were more prominent in her old age. "Today we're discussing the quadrilaterals..." as her voice drifted, Karin's mind did the same. She never really paid attention, since Yuzu felt the need to recap their lessons at dinner every night, delighting Isshin. He needed a life.

Ururu never paid much attention either; her eyes were on the cloister outside. One of the borders connecting the courtard to the building had a large crack in it, and Karakura High was swarming with rumors of how it came about.

Before she knew it the bell was ringing, signifying the end of Algebra and the beginning of World Cultures - this was going to be a long day.

* * *

Toshiro Hitsugaya had the same thought as he glared down at the stack of paperwork on his desk. Now, at eighteen (appearance-wise), it wasn't surprising that this documentation was still his main line of work. The white haired men sighed, pulling out his ink pad to dip his quill. This action was interrupted by an annoyingly familiar voice.

"Hi, taichou!" Rangiku said merrily, waving. She hadn't aged much, but there was a notable difference around her eyes. She had cut her hair shorter three years before, saying it was more youthful.

"Matsumoto," he said stoically before returning to his work.

"Amagai-taichou is throwing a party, and everyone's invited!" she announced, and his expression didn't even falter. "Oh, you know you want to go. I won't drink as much if you do!"

"First of all," he responded icily, "I do not like parties and you know that. Second, that's highly unlikely." After jotting his name at the top of this form he began to check his log for the name of the eighteenth seat.

"But everyone's going!" Rangiku moaned, "and you're such a party pooper!"

"So be it." His flinty eyes locked with hers, symbolizing finality.

"...Fine, I'll get Kira to go..." she grumbled. "I hope I can find that one bottle..."

Toshiro sighed. _Matsumoto, thanks to you I have eighty three forms to fill out today. _

* * *

"What are you doing?" said an aristocratic voice as Rukia doodled on a piece of scrap paper. A thousand pink warriors invaded her cheeks when Byakuya came into her line of vision, his expression colored with disapproval. Small white fingers hurried to disguise the Chappy her pen had created just seconds before, but his cold grey orbs were faster. "You shouldn't be drawing on a day like this."

Slowly it dawned on her that it was a day to hone her shinigami ablities. Her words came out in a stutter. "N-Nii-sama... my deepest apologies."

"..." He turned away slowly, his white Captain's robe billowing behind him. Rukia did not rise from her respectful bow until he was no longer in the garden, then sighed.

_I can never have any fun. _The raven haired girl rose to her feet and eyed Sode no Shirayuki before clasping it in her fingers. _Training time..._

* * *

"Damn it!" Ichigo pummeled the power button of his laptop, but to no avail. It was dead because he had broken the third charger, which had been eighty dollars. Apparently he would have to borrow Uryu's again.

The disgruntled strawberry sat in a coffee shop not too far from campus, his mind abuzz with ways to destroy the computer. Burn it? ...Smash it? He wasn't sure. The infernal device had cost him many grades, since it was his only form of documentation.

"Don't get any funny ideas," the Quincy said matter-of-factly, "you'll be expelled if you destroy school property like that."

Ichigo didn't respond. He was getting sick of Uryu getting the best of him. "Apparently I should just take out a loan."

Uryu raised an eyebrow. "Another one? I don't think they'll let you, after four."

"I'll pay it off," Ichigo amended, "as soon as I get out of this place..." amber eyes met the sight of the dorm building off in the distance.

"You don't have to stay here." Blue eyes met the building as well. "I don't think it's that bad, really."

"That's probably because Orihime is a building over," Ichigo muttered, taking a sip of his coffee. Uryu reddened but didn't answer, checking his cell phone for a diversion. How enjoyable it was to make fun of him.

* * *

How was it for a start? I'm sort of on edge about the main pairing, because I love all pairings. Okay, I'll make it HitsuKarin - I write a lot of IchiRuki for main, so this might be a refresher. Enjoy and please review! : )


	2. Equilibrium

**Okay! Thanks your positive feedback, here I am updating again. I'm excited for this story, because futurefics are always so cute! I love them. Anyway... you might want to picture everyone physically older, but if you have imagination issues (I hope not) I'm still going to describe them all for you... you should also know that I'm planning this by ear. I changed the main pairing back to IchiRuki because I'm... in love with IchiRuki! There'll still be lots of HitsuKarin, though! I won't let you down :D**

**- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - **

_I have flown my flag, my nation's helpless_

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"MATSUMOTO!" Toshiro's scream rang throughout Seireitei.

The buxom woman, who just happened to be walking by, peeked around the doorjamb. "Hmm?"

Her small Captain stood in the middle of the room, his usually alabaster skin crimson as he seethed at the broken bottles all over the carpet. "Explain!" he snapped. Rangiku's face lit up in amusement for a split second before she began her camaderie.

"Well, it's not my fault. Renji said he wanted to play pin the tail on the Hitsugaya, whatever that is, but you weren't here so he just threw them." The blonde shrugged and made to leave the room, but Toshiro halted her.

"Have. You. Done. Your. Paperwork?" he seethed, talking through the corner of his mouth.

Rangiku thought for a moment, her blue eyes glittering with mischief. "Hm... yes."

Toshiro's frown deepened. "Bring it to me and we'll just see about that." The pen in his hand was in danger of exploding at any moment. He'd been dealing with her for years now and his patience hadn't greatened even in the slightest.

Matsumoto-reentered the room about twenty minutes later, holding said paperwork in her hands. "Taaaa-daa!" she smiled and dumped them uncerimoniously on his desk, and put her hands on her hips. "Well?"

White eyebrows shot up. _I don't believe it._

"...You can... go." Hitsugaya's mouth hung wide open.

"You're going to catch flies!" Rangiku warned playfully, sauntering out of the room. Toshiro slipped the paperwork in his drawer, stunned. There was no way she could've done it. No way. There was a loophole somewhere...

**- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - **

"Ichigo!" Yuzu shrieked, throwing herself at her brother. "We missed you!" her arms formed a vise grip around his waist. Ichigo remembered back when she had called him 'Onii-chan' with a wistful look. Through his peripheral vision he saw Karin roll her eyes.

"Hey," he said. The black haired girl nodded stoically before settling at the kitchen table with a morose look, beginning to do her homework. _Same old Karin. _"When's Dad getting home?"

"He picked up a cake for you!" Yuzu answered the question that had been meant for Karin. "I wanted to make it, but Dad insisted." She'd stopped calling him Daddy, too. She'd grown up. That filled him with a slightly fuzzy feeling.

"Sounds like him." Ichigo took a seat at the table, gazing around the room. Everything was the same, from the scarred carpet spot in the corner to the 'Masaki Forever' poster on the wall. This sent a wave of nostalgia crashing around; he'd completely forgotten about the anniversary of her death - it'd been last month, and they had gone to the grave without him.

"How's college?" Karin asked, not sounding too interested.

"All right." Ichigo shrugged, his mind blank.

"How's Orihime-san?" Yuzu questioned, busying herself with meatloaf.

"I don't see her much," he said truthfully. The buxom redhead was in the third building, across campus, so he never really talked to her unless he hung around with Uryu.

"Oh," Yuzu sighed. "I wanted her to try a recipe of mine."

"I'll give it to her," Ichigo offered, allowing a smile to show on her face.

It was then that he felt that ominous, oddly familiar pressure on his skull, causing his eyes to widen exponentially with each passing second. His arm twitched toward his pocket, an old habit, and he found himself running out the front door.

"Ichigo, what the hell!?" he heard Karin yell after him.

"I'll be right back!" Ichigo shouted, downing the familiar green capsule and feeling an enormous pressure in his head, shortly before standing right in front of Kon.

"Ichigo! I was in there FOUR FREAKIN' YEARS!!" the annoying ModSoul declared, "SWEATING AWAY IN A PILL! YOU SUCK!" it felt sort of odd to argue with Kon again, but Ichigo felt himself falling into a familiar pattern.

"If you weren't so damn impatient it'd be all right, prick!" he countered, beginning to run off down the street. "Take care of my body!!" he hadn't had this much speed, this much freedom in so long... his legs yearned to run forever, repeat the circuit down the block, but he needed to find the Hollow.

Wait, what? It didn't feel like a Hollow at all. It felt like... another Shinigami! Ichigo's equilibrium only increased as he kept running, his mind abuzz.

Finally he reached the corner, hair saturated with perspiration. Ichigo leaned against an apartment building - specifically, Orihime's old one - and caught his breath, which was hot and ragged. He couldn't find the source of the reiatsu, and there was something about it he couldn't put a finger on - a weird feeling. But somewhat pleasant as well, like an old knowledgeable friend.

"Kurosaki?" said a deep voice. Ichigo's mind flared.

"Renji!" he exclaimed, spotting the pineapple-head across the street along with a shadowy figure. The name escaped from the depths of his mind, a place he hadn't tapped into in at least two years. Renji's footfalls were loud on the silent pavement, and so were those of the unknown person.

"We were patrolling this area," Renji said, "and noticed your reiatsu. I decided to check it out." He shrugged, gesturing to the figure beside him. "This is our 3rd Seat, Kuromatsu Akamori."

The person threw back their hood, revealing a sculptured face and long jet black hair. She had one deep, burgundy eye and another that was a milky, pale blue - blind.

"Kuromatsu," Ichigo nodded to her.

"Kurosaki," she said in a low, velvety tone.

"Kuchiki-taichou sent us here. There have been a few times where we've sensed weird reiatsu," Renji said, his hand on Zabimaru.

"It's been that of a Shinigami all of those times. Abarai-fukutaichou thought it might be you, but I disagree," Akamori shook her head. "I feel that it's some form of renegade squad."

"Maybe an Aizen thing?" Ichigo offered, eyeing her zanpakuto. It was worn across her back, and had a thin red hilt.

"Perhaps." Akamori stiffened, and as she did footsteps could be heard. None of them even attempted to hide since they could not be seen, but the voice called to them.

"Ichigo! Yuzu's crying again, asshole!" Karin shrieked, grabbing his sleeve tighter than he had ever remembered her grip to be. "You think that just because you're a Shinigami you're more important than us, but you're wrong."

Renji was gazing down at her in disbelief. "Kurosaki, who's -"

"I'm Ichigo's sister, thanks!" Karin snapped.

"Spiritually aware," Akamori thought aloud. "Curious."

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**Okay, I'm gonna stop that right there. I hope you liked this chap, I had a baaaaad case of writer's block right at the very beginning, so bear with me here. Please review! :D**


	3. Time After Time

**Oh, God - you guys ROCK! Thanks for another chapter of positively phenomenal reviews, from shrimpnoodlesoup, Sonata Ann and Loz727 (the second chapter's reviewers)! I'm putting together a soundtrack for this story, it'll be on my profile soon enough - so it'd be convenient to favorite me, you know what I mean? -nudge nudge- Here's your chapter!**

**A Question for the Author: What's your name? **Craven Ekaterina... my last name? Eh, you don't need to know... I'm serious, it's a weird name. (Ask me a question, as long as it isn't personal :D)

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_if you're lost, you can look and you will find me  
time after time  
if you fall, I will catch you, I'll be waiting  
time after time_

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"Nii-sama, why haven't you called me for training this morning?" the elfin Kuchiki asked her adopted brother, sword clasped in her fingers.

Byakuya didn't look up from the document he had been penning. "I didn't have anything for you to learn today," he said simply, flinty eyes sweeping over the paper in his usually detached manner. Rukia shrugged and turned to leave, but he spoke up. "If you can, aid Abarai-fukutaichou and Kuromatsu in the Living World."

Renji was in the Living World? Odd, he was more of a hands-on person than that. Lately, though, he had been a little more straitlaced - especially since Akamori had been promoted to Third Seat. He made sure he was precise, something he had never done, and spoke with a certain tone. It was sort of annoying.

That having been pondered, Rukia strode down to the senkai gate. This ought to be interesting.

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"Been a while since I've seen you guys," remarked a slightly graying Urahara Kisuke, sipping his tea seedily. "You look older." He appraised Ichigo, whose last traces of baby fat had gone, leaving hard, sinewy flesh. His arms had thinned a bit due to the lack of exercise, but otherwise he looked the same. Renji's sun-browned skin remained the same as it always had been, as did everything else about him.

Urahara still sat behind that same old fan, stubble having intensified with the years. Around his waist there was a notable spare tire, which wasn't surprising since Aizen was dead and there were no battles to be fought.

"I've been busy," Ichigo reminded.

Renji grunted. "You're not the only one." His eyes scrutinized the coffee he always detested. "Kuchiki's been working my every nerve." The name ripped suddenly through Ichigo's head, tearing veins and numbing certain areas. For a moment it was like he was looking through a kaleidoscope.

Ichigo tried to clear his head. "Byakuya," he said stonily, remembering the icy man who hated everything he did. "He getting old yet?"

"He's the same." Renji seemed just as irritated by the lack of aging on Byakuya's part.

"Kuchiki-taichou's heart is just as silent," Kuromatsu mused from her perch on the windowsill. "He has yet to remarry." She tipped the glass of straight tap water to her lips, but stopped with some words. "Not surprising, at best."

Renji scoffed in agreement. "I'll say." He drummed the tabletop with scarred up fingers - scars that hadn't been there before.

"What's with your hand?" Ichigo asked, exchanging glances with Urahara.

The redhead seemed taken aback. "Which - ah, yeah. It's a burn."

"Renji tried to make bread and failed miserably," Kuromatsu explained, and Renji's head shot up so fast he almost cricked his neck.

"_Abarai-fukutaichou_," he insisted, darkening slightly.

Kuromatsu laughed, a high, clear sound like wind chimes. It was different for the rest of her voice. "Okay then, Hitsugaya."

This name rang more nostalgic bells. "Toshiro?" an image of the small Captain - flanked by Matsumoto - flashed across his line of vision.

"Same Hitsugaya," Renji added. "He's pissy about his name and he gets on Rangiku if her robe isn't done up right." He stretched out, eagle-eyed, on the floor.

Kuromatsu opened the window, sticking her head into the violently falling rain. "Your sister, in this downpour..." she said to Ichigo.

"Karin'll be okay." Ichigo was assuring himself more than her. "So, Urahara. Any inventions?"

"Not a one," Urahara shrugged. "After the Winter War, it was a moot point for me." He drank his tea down to the leaves. "An interesting pattern indeed." It looked like a clump of tea leaves to Ichigo. Just as the redhead was thinking about this, there was a faint pressure engulfing the room. The vein-ripping feeling returned, but this time it felt a hundred times as potent. His eyes squinted for a moment, shortly before opening so wide he felt as if the sockets were splitting.

"Ah, so she is coming," Urahara said, calling into the back of the shop. "Tessai, get some more tea please."

"Yes," said the familiar baritone, but Ichigo couldn't focus on him right now. He was trying to look nonchalant but was also trying to pull in as much of her reiatsu as possible - it was such a bittersweet feeling, so engrained and yet so dimly concentrated, in his mind and his body.

And when the screen slid open, the sensory feeling exploded. She was covered in rainwater, her hair in black tendrils around the icy planes of her cheeks. Her large eyes were the same violet color, but they were more angular somehow, nicer. Her hair hung to her shoulders but still retained its curve. The narrow hips had developed more body with age, as had the rest of her.

_Rukia._

**◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦' ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦' ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ **

**I had lots of fun with this chap - re-introducing Rukia was my favorite. Renji can't even drink coffee, so why does he think bread is going to work out? Sure beats me. Sorry about Karin not being here - I needed IchiRuki focus. I hope you liked and please review!**


	4. Where's Your Brother?

**I** **don't even have to say it, but I have the best reviewers in the world. SERIOUSLY! That chapter, to me, wasn't all that good, but you guys seemed to like it. Also, I want to be a Beta badly. Any stories I can pursue? It'd be nice if you'd let me know... but anyway! Let me know what you think of my OC... and everything else, I'm still not too sure about her. Here we go.**

Chapter Four: _Ever The Same_

**◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦' ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦**

_when all your love is gone, who will save me from all I'm up against out in this world?_

**◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦' ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ **

"It's about damn time!" Renji barked, "we've been listening to Ichigo's pathetic attempts at small talk!"

Rukia's wandering eyes stopped on a dime - more like on Ichigo, wide and deep. "Ichi-" she gasped, cutting herself off by placing a small hand over her mouth. She glanced down at the carpet, eyes moving sharply. _That's her thinking face,_Ichigo thought, his own mouth agape as he surveyed her. Never had he thought that Rukia of all people could age, but she had.

She looked more womanly somehow... but he didn't like to think of it that way, she was sort of like his sister... an annoying, midget sister.

Urahara smirked from behind his fan. "I thought you two were always hanging around together. My mistake..." his eyes rested again on the spent teacup. "So the pattern didn't lie after all."

"What the hell are you talking about? Rukia said she was coming," Renji reminded, oblivious to the Shinigami who were staring at each other unwaveringly. "Kuromatsu, pass the onigiri, would you?"

"It's right next to you, O Burned One." The dark haired girl rolled her multicolored eyes.

Renji frowned and grabbed a pastry. "Y'know, Rukia," he said thickly, "Ichigo's in college now."

Rukia tore her gaze away, delicate black brows rising. "Is he?" Renji then prattled on about it, and she was watching him, but her mind had another agenda.

Ichigo Kurosaki... the Substitute who had helped her open a juice box when they'd first met, and who she'd been completely dependent on for about a year - and then she had left him, here in town, for the Kuchiki estate.

The more she thought about it, the crueler it sounded.

"And Inoue's there too," Renji said, bringing up a sudden flare through her stomach. Inoue was still here? Of course, she'd never leave Ichigo. Unlike Rukia.

"I'll have to visit her then," she said monotonously. Rukia's throat tasted metallic, like blood, but there wasn't any, and her eyes felt watery, but there were no tears. It was an odd sensation.

"So, you've decided to join our little rendezvous?" Urahara said, fanning himself.

"Uhm, well..." Rukia hadn't heard about it until Byakuya had mentioned it. "I'm not sure." Violet eyes met amber for a fraction of a second before flitting away again.

"Hrm... all right." Kisuke sighed, and then suddenly spoke to Renji. "Hey, I've got to eat too."

Renji froze, halfway through scarfing down another onigiri. "Sorry." His brows furrowed slightly but he didn't say anything else.

"Pig," Ichigo muttered.

Renji's neck turned so slowly one could've sworn it creaked. "What was that?"

"I said you're a pig. Stop eating yourself sick." Ichigo smirked and sipped his coffee. Rukia smiled a little, remembering their own squabbles from the past. They had been childish, surely, but...

**◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦' ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ **

"Ichigo thinks he's just the greatest thing. Well, we'll see."

Karin narrowed her blue eyes.

"What do you mean? He was in a good mood," Yuzu tilted her head to the side as she tossed the salad. "But it's been an hour. Dad'll be sad if Ichigo isn't here."

"More like psychotic." Karin picked up the pencil she'd broken in two when Ichigo had run out the door. "Anyway, did you do the quadratic formulas yet?"

"Mhm!" Yuzu was always happy to change the subject, and that was a good thing. Her twin didn't like to linger. "All you have to do is multiply by the dividend, Karin."

"Is that the summation?" Karin frowned, her bottom teeth bucking over the top. It was an annoying habit she'd picked up from Ichigo.

"Yeah, they're the same thing." **(1) **Yuzu gave a happy smile and smothered the salad leaves in Ranch, her favorite flavor... as well as Rukia's. Isshin's 'third daughter' had probably gone back to that Soul Society place that had sounded crappy to Karin.

"GOOD EVENING... FAMILY!" Isshin threw the door open dramatically. "ICHIGO MY - where's your brother?" his little presentation halted. Having gone naturally gray a year ago, he let everything hang out now.

"Off with the Shinigami or something," Karin shrugged and sipped her cola.

"Ah, a go-getter! He gets that from his good old dad!"

"In that good old dad's dreams..."

**◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦' ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ **

_The snow fell softly on the dingy sidewalk, matching the opalline sky. A little girl held hands with her mother on the way down the street. Her face had no usual roundness that was common in her age group, its bones so prominent she seemed emaciated. _

_"Mama," she said in a light voice, pulling on her mother's pants leg. "When are we going home?" _

_The woman didn't reply for a moment. "I'm not sure," she murmured in a thick Eurasian accent. She was as thin as her daughter, with the same curling black hair. "As soon as your daddy goes to work."_

_The little girl frowned. It was always as soon as Otou-san went to work. "Okay." Her boots were overly loose and androgynous, belonging to her older brother Okawa. He was at school right now, where she wanted to go so badly. But her mother needed her, and that was more important than the most advanced schools._

_The woman bought her little girl a sandwich, which she sat and looked at for a few minutes. "If you don't eat it, it'll get cold." Obeying her mother, she bit into it - it tasted terrible, but she smiled weakly. _

_"Thanks, Mama." _

**◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦' ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ **

Akamori buried her face in her pillow, head pounding. It was around three thirty AM. Renji snored happily beside her, and she envied him. Her hair curled wildly over her back, irritating her as much as the freezing air. Oddly Renji didn't seem fazed by the temperature; he was never this happy. Maybe he'd gotten a raise.

**◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦' ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ **

"Rukia!" said Renji's voice. "Get the hell up!" she could hear them bustling around the little shop as she got slowly to her achy feet, shuffling into the kitchen.

Urahara was busying himself in the refrigerator. Akamori leaned against the wall. Ichigo and Renji were fighting over a donut. _What idiots. _But for some reason, her favorite memories fluttered around in her belly.

"It's the last one, damn it, you already ate an egg!" Ichigo barked.

"It was cold!" Renji amended loudly, "and raw!!"

"So effin' what?! I'm starving!"

"Not my problem!"

"Asshole..."

"I don't see why you can't split it," Kuromatsu suggested, peeling the skin off a banana. Rukia sent her a sympathetic smile.

Ichigo frowned. "Men don't split food."

"I don't see any men here," the girls said in unison.

**◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦' ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ **

**Reviews, questions, comments... and I also need suggestions for a soundtrack... :D**


	5. Relaxation

**Thank you to my lovely reviewers for your feedback on the last chapter. You see, reviews keep me writing. Anyway, I'll really get this playlist up soon. Make sure you check for updates every time I update - every chapter's lyrics (see below) are in there, starting with this chapter. :D I hope you like it... and the chapter.**

**◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦' ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦**

_you change your mind like a girl changes clothes_

_yeah, you PMS like a bitch - I would know._

**◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦' ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦**

"Every... sixteen people..." Akamori murmured, to the disdain of a very disgruntled Renji, who just happened to be sitting on the tatami nearby.

"_Tell me _you're not doing that paperwork," he moaned.

"I could, but I'd be lying," she said, chewing on her pen. "Okay... china, china plates..."

Rukia smiled wistfully for what felt like the thousandth time, but it felt good. This time yesterday, she'd been in her annoyingly lacy bedroom at the Kuchiki Estate, surrounded by people who wanted to massage her feet. Thankfully Byakuya had told her about this, pr she'd be banging her head against the wall.

"All right then." Akamori slapped her scroll on the carpet. "Finished."

A strange look burst across Renji's visage. "Wanna spar?"

The dark haired girl raised one brow, and Rukia noticed an old scar running the length of her blind eye. "Spar? I don't think so."

"What the hell? Yesterday you said --"

"It's not yesterday today." She licked her lips and stared out the window. "Plus, it's still raining. I wouldn't be able to concentrate."

Renji muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "exactly" and stomped out of the room. His childhood friend let a smirk take over her face. She hadn't known Kuromatsu Akamori for very long, but she seemed to be level-headed and able to keep Renji in line. Good - someone had to do it.

"Ahm, Kuchiki-sama?" she said quietly.

Rukia hadn't been addressed by her last name for several years. "Yes?"

"...Never mind, I... forgot." She stood, the ragged red cape she wore swaying. Her shikakusho's sleeves were missing, and the edges of her uniform seemed hopelessly frayed. Rukia wondered if this was deliberate - like Zaraki's - or not, if Akamori was that creative. She seemed the analytical type.

"Hey," said Ichigo from the sofa. "What's with you?" his hair was, if possible, more disheveled than usual.

His voice ripped her away from her thoughts. "E-excuse me?"

He rolled his eyes. "You've got that face on again. The thinking one." He sighed as if it annoyed him, which it probably did. "I thought that'd go away or somethin'. I guess not..." The redhead yawned.

Rukia felt defensive of herself. "You _though- _oh, so you _thought _you'd see me again?"

Ichigo looked up, slightly woebegone. "Well, no, it's just that when you say it like that --"

"I didn't say anything! You brought it up." Rukia smiled inwardly. Ah, memories. "And either way, you always choose to keep arguing. How immature of you..." with a coy smile she left him hanging there, striding into the other room. The conversation hadn't made any sense at all, but none of theirs ever had anyway.

Akamori shot her an odd, somewhat cold expression. Rukia felt herself frown in wonder, but shrugged it off.

"I can't sense the intruders anymore," said the Sixth Squad's Third Seat as she stood up, her stance as stony as Rukia's own Nii-sama. "I am going back to Soul Society."

Renji suddenly appeared. "You?"

Akamori ignored him and slid open the front door into the slew of rain. "I'll be expecting you," she said shortly before embarking into the bad weather. Renji frowned.

"She thinks she's so great. Show-off, I could kick her ass," he muttered, turning back to Rukia."Wanna go back?"

Rukia hastened to answer, but found herself stopping on account of a certain 'Strawberry'. Why would she leave after not seeing her friend for so long? Was she really that morose?

...No.

"Not today, Renji." Violet eyes flitted away silently.

Renji frowned again. "Great. Now it's me and two stiffs down at the office." He blew out a sharp, irritated breath and she heard the creak of the door. "You sure?"

"Positive." She smiled wryly, still facing the other room, until the door had thudded shut. Rukia sighed and sat down on the tatami **(1).**

**◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦' ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦**

**Nihongo Lesson!**

(1) **TATAMI:** any of a number of thick, woven straw mats of uniform dimensions, about three feet by six feet (91 cm by 183 cm.) The Japanese sleep and sit on these.

**◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦' ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦**

**Author's Note: Sorry about the short chap, yes it's a filler. The next one is deeply engrained with the plot, and it'll be better. Hang in there for me!**

**-CL**


	6. H and K: Reprise

**All right… so the playlist managed to evade my procrastinating agenda – it's up on my profile. Also, I'd think being a Beta will help my skills, so if anyone has anything they'd like checked over, that'd be good… I won't twist your story. I'll just fix your errors. Feel free to make a DocX connection with me if you need some help with editing. **

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_we'll stay forever this way_

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**

Ichigo sighed darkly. His limbs were somewhat tired from all that running yesterday – back when he'd seen Rukia again for the first time. The redhead couldn't help but feel weird about it. And that was even weirder. It was all weird. Maybe so, but what was he supposed to do about it? Go running to someone who knew what it was like to see an old friend? Now he just sounded insane. And that was not good. Ichigo turned over and tried to get some shuteye.

Scratch that last. At that moment he felt pressure on the confines of his skull, and in his nostrils and on the surface of his eyes. Someone was coming. Someone familiar…

Someone with spiky white hair and a grand total of 4'10''.

_Damn, Hitsugaya. Why now? _He thought with an inward moan, yanking Kon out of his pocket and jamming it down his throat.

"HEY! WHERE'S NEE-SAN?!" Kon demanded, his beady eyes resolute.

"Home," he sighed again, and turned back around before heading out the door. "Don't do any stupid shit while I'm gone, Kon." Kon murmured a filament of profanities, but Ichigo was already outside.

It was freezing out. Well, obviously since Hitsugaya was coming things'd be a little chillier. The orange head rubbed his hands together as he waited.

"What are you doing?" asked a stoic voice.

It was him, all right… but he was not 4'10''. No. He was at least 5'11''. Much taller, but with the same build. His hair was more disheveled than before, the spikes bowing down a bit more to almost touch the dark emerald eyes. Had those changed too?

"Toshiro," Ichigo greeted.

"Hitsugaya-taichou," he sighed back.

And then suddenly, his big-busted comrade was there too. Her hair was cut short to her chin, but otherwise there were no visible differences. "Ah! Hi, Ichigo! We missed you!" said Rangiku merrily. "Are you having a happy Thanksgiving?"

"Matsumoto," Toshiro grumbled, "that's next week."

"Oh." She shrugged. "Well, mazel tov!"

Toshiro huffed angrily. "Matsumoto."

"Okay," she said waspishly.

"What are you doing here?" Ichigo asked, even though he had a pretty good idea.

"The same reason as Abarai and Kuchiki. To investigate," Toshiro replied cynically.

_Well, that was dumb… _"Okay, whatever," Ichigo rode it off. Toshiro was always acting like that, and he wasn't going to deal with the short – okay, fine. He wasn't short anymore.

**'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦' ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦**

**Karin's POV**

"My, Dad wants you to do the dishes!" Yuzu told me. I was on the floor tying my shoes. "Not play soccer!"

My temple pulsated. Typical Yuzu. "I am _not _going to play soccer, Yuzu. I'm going to find Ichigo." After yesterday's fiasco, I was sick of waiting up for my brother – and I wasn't the only one. Isshin was on edge, to put it bluntly. He had been running around the house yelling about how his son had probably gone off and become a hippie.

Yuzu blinked her honey eyes. "Okay… but…" she bit her lip and scraped at a steel pan with her rough sponge, "be back soon." Age had not changed Yuzu Kurosaki. She was still a bit of a wimp, and a worrywart to boot.

I didn't acknowledge my twin further, just got up and out the door. The sun was bright and blisteringly hot today.

I glanced down at my black track pants – way too tight for this weather. Way too tight for any weather. I was lean and muscular but tight clothing made me feel naked, if that made sense. I buried my hands in my gray Old Navy sweater and kept walking, the heels of my black tennis shoes bouncing involuntarily on each step. At last I reached the bottom of the street, near the back of the Urahara Shoten. No one out here.

I huffed about the heat and turned on her heel, making a quick circuit around the shop.

Finally I saw her brother, standing stiffly near the fence in his Shinigami uniform with two others. I felt herself frown… then her eyes widened as I took in the white-haired man near the gates.

_Toshiro? _I took another look and then shook her head. _But he can't be any older than middle school. That can't be… him, really, can it?_

"Ah, a human!" said the busty woman, whom I remembered faintly. Matsu… Matsu something. "She's looking at us!" her blue eyes danced with curiosity.

Ichigo turned around, looking again taken aback by my sudden appearance. "Karin?!"

_Like you didn't see me yesterday. _"…"

"Kurosaki?" Toshiro murmured faintly, his teal orbs lost in thought.

"My sister!" Ichigo growled. "My, get out of here…"

I couldn't get out of here. Ichigo and his Shinigami friends were just too interesting. I strode closer to them.

"Ah, Taichou! I remember!" Rangiku said vividly as my face grew more familiar. "You were sitting on the roof, watching her!"

Toshiro whipped around menacingly. "I was _not_!"

The strawberry blonde giggled. "H-h-huh…"

Ichigo's face went normal to white to purple to red. "WHEN WAS THAT?!"

I balked. What had she gotten Toshiro into? Well, he seemed pretty smart. I wondered if he could get out of it – and also felt a subconscious need to piss Ichigo off. "Toshiro and I played soccer."

"WHAT?!" Ichigo looked back and forth between us. Where had he been? Off somewhere. Yuzu had been crying about it. "WHY THE HELL—I—MY!"

I blinked innocently, smiling on the inside. "What?" of course, Toshiro had scored the winning goal. I remembered like it was yesterday. "There's nothing wrong with soccer."

"Y-YEAH, but…" Ichigo's amber eyes were moving rapidly, looking for some way to contradict them. "It's… what if…"

"We _did_ win," I said.

Toshiro glanced at me for a few moments, then at his fukutaichou. "Matsumoto."

"Yes?" she giggled.

"Stop laughing." He grimaced, somehow looking much older than that day at the soccer field – but the same in a way.

**'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦' ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦**

Rukia felt the old-fashioned senkaimon doors close behind her, leaving the petite woman to her own devices in front of the Sixth Squad office. She'd been here only a few days ago but it felt odd to leave the warm, comfy confines of the eccentric shop in which she'd reunited with an old friend…

Hazy images from times long gone floated around in her mind for a while before Rukia remembered what she was supposed to be doing. _Right… to go and see Nii-sama. _She swallowed, as if that might clear the memories from her head, and strode up the white steps.

And then a voice caught her. "Hi, Rukia!"

It was Rikichi. That annoying boy who thought Renji was the Second Coming. He had in his arms a bunch of paperwork that probably wouldn't get done and a strangely excited look on his face. "Rukia-sama! Tonight is the Japanese Heritage Festival!"

_There's no point. We're all Japanese. _"Good." She smiled softly and shook her head as soon as he was out of sight.

The Japanese Heritage Festival was Soul Society's fabled excuse to get plastered beyond comprehension – especially Renji and Ikkaku. Last year, Renji had fallen backwards over the dessert table and taken it with him off the balcony into the bushes. It had been upsetting to Rukia, who wanted to try some spiced tuna. Sadly, a damn tuna had probably taken her tuna.

Finally she reached the top of the stairs. Nii-sama, Renji, and probably Kuromatsu-san were inside waiting for her. She turned the knob slowly and opened the door into the hallway of three doors, Nii-sama's on the far left. She went in there next.

"Good day, Rukia," Byakuya said emotionlessly.

"Nii-sama." She bowed.

Renji, seated in the window sill, made a big production out of it. "Finally! Taichou and I were going to give up on you."

Said Kuchiki's eyes narrowed. "I never said that, Renji."

"Well, you were thinking it," Renji muttered, only loud enough for himself and Rukia's ears. But Byakuya's lips did turn down a bit. "What time are we leaving for the festival?"

"I am not going to the festival," said Byakuya dryly.

Renji acted as if bees had sucked up Earth's drinkable water. "B-but Taichou! You have to go! I'm going and…" he frowned. "I don't want to be stuck with Kuromatsu all evening!" he pounded the wall with his fist.

Rukia felt like she could see the softest hint of a smirk on her brother-in-law's features. "Is that so? She might be an appealing dinner guest, if you can keep her pace." His sister knew he was messing with Renji – and it surprised her. Had Kuchiki already had a drink today?

Renji seemed affronted. "Sh- I bet she's not even awake! Good for nothing…"

Byakuya looked up. "Go wake her."

Rukia found several aspects of this situation odd. First, Byakuya was playing a joke on Renji. The bees-stealing-the-water thing was more likely. And now Kuromatsu-san slept at the office? She seemed pretty straitlaced.

_Apparently Soul Society went to hell,_ she deduced, _When I was stuck in the Manor… _

"Whatever," Renji muttered. "Bitch is ruining everything…" he stomped out of the room, and Rukia found herself following. This might be a rewarding experience, in one way or another. Renji's irritated demeanor didn't change as they approached the door…

The room was large and circular, but littered with papers and writing utensils. In the corner was a large dresser that stood ajar, showing a lot of dark clothing. Shock. But one thing she noticed were the hundreds of books all backed into one corner, some open.

The redhead's subordinate lay across the desk, dark hair messy and wavy. Around her seemed to be at least a dozen cups of ramen, all empty. She didn't wear her standard robe, just a blue T-shirt and what seemed to be shorts, her legs folded behind her in the chair.

"DAMN YOU!" Renji bellowed.

The short girl blinked. "Renji?" How did Kuromatsu-san irk him that much? She wasn't even annoying. "What's the problem?"

The red pineapple smacked the desk. "KUROMATSU!"

Her white eyelids slid upward. "Oh, morning…" she said sleepily. Rukia smiled in spite of herself at Renji's dumbfounded expression. "Huhm…" she closed her eyes again.

"Don't 'huhm'! It's time to leave!"

Kuromatsu frowned. "No, that's not for another three hours, dipshit."

Renji looked like he wanted to smack her. "DAMN YOU! GET UP!"

Rukia wondered why she didn't spend more time in Soul Society.

**'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦' ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦ ◦'◦**

**Yay! HitsuKarin time at last! I was getting a little sick of waiting for it to be honest… but, this means events will be set in motion to launch my real plot :P FINALLY. Well. Please please please review?**


	7. Smashed

**As it happens, it's time for the next Torque update. I was being an idiot and wiped all the files from my comp, which was completely uncalled for as I lost several of my other new chapters. Eh, what can you do other than rewrite them? Nothing, of course. I hope for some good writing this chapter, but it all depends on my mood, which is a little sucky. But sometimes being sad helps you to write better – that's what I've found. Anyway, um, I really hope you like this chapter. :D I dedicate it to my bestest friend, Amanda! She rocks, and writes for Naruto! Her first story ever is Kuro Tenshi, so get your ass over there and read it! REVIEW HER STORY! DO IT FER ME! xD seriously, though. She rules. :) I would so love to review again, but sadly enough, only one review ish allowed per chapter. How suck ass is that? Because, because, what if you forgot something? And you really wanted to say it? I am so rambling but at this point it does not matter. Also, Sehanort is the absolute god of YouTube. Go check out his Bleach and Code Geass spoofs. You will laugh your intestines out. I am totally cereal about that. In the mean time, if anyone has ideas for Torque, She's Like the Moon, or Paroxysm, lemme know. Paroxysm is my latest story, OC-fueled, and anyone can submit their OC. Make sure you ask me if the position you want is taken. If you don't want a Gotei 13 position, send me an Arrancar. I do have plot plans for them, yes. To end the longest author's note EVER, I will say this: only you can prevent wildfires.  
**

* * *

Torque, an **xSilverWingsx **fanfic

_You are, the only thing that's going through my head, while I'm waiting here, lying on my death bed.  
_–Color the Sky

* * *

Rukia glanced at her sweating glass of ginger ale, ebony brows crunched down in boredom. Her tight corset was pushing down on her bladder and making it difficult not to sprint to a bathroom, or a potted plant at the very least. Heat rolled off her body unpleasantly in this packed room, one in which she couldn't find a single person she knew. _What am I doing here again? _She asked herself sourly, pinching her lips together and placing her drink on the table with a resounding clank. _Oh, right. I went because Renji went. _This seemed asinine now that she thought about it, since Renji was not the sharpest knife in the drawer. The young Kuchiki neared the door and tried once again to spot one of her associates, but succeeded only in the case of Yachiru, who was jumping around in the corner for no apparent reason. Because she didn't feel like dabbling in a conversation that would rob her of energy, Rukia shoved open the door and stepped out into the night.

The air was crisp but not heavy, which suited her just fine. Rukia was glad to be free of that jam-packed room, so she pulled her hair out of the elaborately done updo that had been wound together by one of the Kuchiki stylists. Why did they need stylists, anyway? Byakuya was a man, and she was fairly tomboyish, so it seemed a moot point. But then again, Byakuya was fairly effeminate in his appearance. She sighed and wondered what her brother-in-law was doing at this moment, and settled on sleep. He must have a lot of naps to be so collected – it seemed that way in Akamori's case. Rukia speculated on where the dark-haired Third Seat was and remembered that she had also decided to attend the party, having been near the dessert table earlier in the evening. However, both she and Renji had disappeared shortly afterward.

She let out a breath and thought about Ichigo. He hadn't changed much, other than his appearance… which, she remembered, had strengthened. Rukia wasn't stupid, she knew that Ichigo was physically attractive, but it was just a fact that she was aware of, not a binding tie or anything. He'd always been that way, but back then it hadn't egged her on as much. It was most likely age, and despite her vast experiences with them, hormones affected Rukia Kuchiki as much as the next girl. Personality-wise, he seemed to have matured some, but still maintained that gung-ho perspective of the world. That was what she liked about him.

"Rukia-san," said a voice. Isane Kotetsu was standing about three feet away, and judging by her stance, she had been there the whole time. "Are you enjoying the party?"

"Yes, Isane-san," Rukia said with a good-natured smile, startled from being addressed so suddenly. "It could be a bit less crowded, but it is a nice party nonetheless." She didn't know the tall girl very well, but they had always been kind to each other in passing.

"I'd just like to go home," Isane muttered, her blue-gray eyes riddled with irritation. But then her attention was averted by a voice calling her name. "Ah, Kuchiki-san, I must go inside now. It was a nice talk." She smiled politely and walked back inside, shutting the door softly behind her.

Rukia felt slightly disappointed by the sudden lack of company. Nonetheless she sat down in a small chair next to the edge of the deck. This party was being held in the 1st Division's tea hall, and it was admittedly a place Rukia didn't like much. Yamamoto-genryusai tended to be somewhat snappish and rude to her, despite her intense amount of respect for the elderly man. She huffed out a breath and wondered if she would get caught sneaking off, or if she could get away with it. The petite young woman stood but then felt guilty about what she wanted to do and sat again.

Renji entered through the gate a few minutes later, looking a little inebriated but somewhat alert. "Hey, Rukia," he said with a sigh. "Are you having fun?"

"No," she said honestly, getting up to let him have her chair. "I don't think anyone is, save Yachiru. Where have you been this whole time?"

Renji sat. "I went with Kuromatsu for a drink. There's nothing good at this party," he declared, sounding a little annoyed. "I'm going to hit the road soon, she told me to come check on you. You don't have to be here, Kuchiki-taichou said you could come on home."

Rukia's lips bent into a blissful smile. "Good," she murmured. "I was getting sick of parties… but when are we going back to the Living World?"

Renji shrugged. "I dunno. Whenever Hitsugaya-taichou senses something weird, I think. Why? You miss Ichigo?" he wagged his eyebrows, and Rukia felt her mouth drop open in shock. Renji had typically avoided making allusions to her feelings toward Ichigo in the past, since back then she had known that Renji had had something of a crush on her. Now, though, he seemed totally comfortable with making fun of her personal life.

"Ichigo can get along perfectly well on his own," she said coolly, turning up her nose at him. "Besides, we both know you only went because of Kuromatsu."

Renji reddened. "Rukia, she is such a bitch, how could you say s-something like that?" he muttered, clearly humiliated. Renji worked hard to repose himself. "Well, anyway, um, I'm gonna go now. You?"

The adopted Kuchiki got to her feet in a flash. "Yes," she said, blinking.

* * *

_Stupid fucking Ichigo and his merry band of Shinigami. Why the hell should dead people be such snobs? _Karin Kurosaki thought waspishly, kicking her soccer ball along as she began the long walk home. They had lost to the Shinjuku Seagulls 13—0, so needless to say she was in a foul mood. Karin had been up late trying to console Isshin, who had erupted into a fit when he realized Ichigo wouldn't be able to try his fried octopus dinner. She had been late to the match and had even fallen asleep during half-time.

In her free time, Karin had been wondering about Toshiro. How had he grown so much? Probably artificial hormones or something, because Soul-wherever-he-came-from was pretty elite, according to the times she'd spend eavesdropping on Ichigo and Rukia. Had Rukia grown, too? Hopefully not. She might look slightly creepy tall.

"Shit!" Karin snapped as her soccer ball rolled across the knoll and into the Onose River. Luckily it was bobbing ostentatiously on the surface, and it was easy to pull out. She decided to carry it, being less than concerned of a few stains on her uniform. Karin huffed a sigh and kicked up dust on her way past the Onose, muddying her shoes. _Hell, the day's not going to get better. Why bother? _Karin thought morosely.

The sky was darkening, with small blooms of light still fluctuating on the horizon. Her eyes darkened as well at the sight of that—Isshin would notice the late hour and have some kind of panic attack. Though Yuzu was usually good at calming him down, she wasn't sure about today, since he was in just as foul a mood as she. The young Kurosaki murmured 'jeez' at the thought of what might happen when she entered the kitchen and continued down Nakasa Street.

Karin tried to see the positive side of things. Maybe Yuzu would take pity on her bad day and make aemono tonight. The boiled jellyfish confection made her stomach turn with hunger, and Karin only felt more deprived. She dropped the soccer ball to jam her hands in her pockets, continuing to kick it for exercise. _I wonder when Ichigo's coming back from Hat 'n Clogs' Place. _Karin had become taken with using Ichigo's old nickname for Urahara Kisuke, someone she found just as annoying as his young fiery-haired employee.

Karin thought about what she would do this weekend. The thought of visiting Toshiro and… what was her name… Matsumoto… floated in the back of her head. Toshiro was nice enough to be considered an acquaintance of hers, but not quite a friend. Friends had usually met each other more than twice. Though, it might be nice to have Toshiro as a friend. He was smart and obviously bullshit-immune like her, and he was a kickass soccer player. So befriending him went on her mind's to-do list. She passed the playground at which she sometimes hung out with Ururu. Her fellow black-haired girl was kind, but a little too gentle to be of any interest. She took offense to even the least playful of jibes, which Karin took to be a bore. Sometimes she found herself avoiding Ururu.

Eventually the Urahara Shoten came into view along with her street, something that met Karin's psyche with mixed feelings.

Karin blinked spastically at the strange feelings eclipsing her, as well as the bright light that was inhibiting her sight more and more with each passing second. Karin let out a gasp of dark surprise as she spotted the gigantic truck in front of her, and her body was not fast enough to register the fact that she was supposed to run. Karin was knocked down by the truck and crushed by its wheels, her mind wheeling out of control and her body numb from the waist down.

She lay on her back and could feel the burning, indescribable pain pulsing through her torso and head, which seemed oddly heavy and wet. Her heart pounded in her ears, a faint, moist sound, as she found her mind screaming. _No! No, no no no. I did – no! _Karin choked out her next breath and tried to angle herself to see her legs – and a sick, swooping sensation erupted in her stomach when she saw them. They were warped and bent in several perverse angles, one twisted so her foot touched her thigh.

It was getting very difficult to breathe. Karin felt like some sort of narrator, watching the scene. Her chest was flattened and oozing blood and other dark red matter. A few hundred yards away, a man was getting out of the truck, screaming, but her sight was so dizzy she couldn't see him. Was this what death felt like? Death, something everyone went through… Karin swallowed and felt her throat cloud with hot blood. Her head would not move. Piecing it together, she guessed that her spine was broken.

_Oh, fuck! FUCK! There's no way I'm gonna get through this one! _Karin remembered once when she was young, when she had broken her arm. The amount of pain she had endured then seemed comical now, like nothing.

"Oh, God…" the man said, tone riddled with incomprehensible guilt. "Shit, shit…'' he seemed to be debating on what to do, but his voice was fading.

Karin had a sick thought that maybe she was still asleep in her bedroom and this horrible day had all been a dream, and for a moment she believed herself. Any minute now… Yuzu would come in. Yuzu would come in, and then Isshin would make pancakes for breakfast. She would still be staying in her room with Yuzu, and Ichigo would be in high school again, and Rukia would live with them… and Masaki would be waiting by the door to give her a kiss goodbye. Everything would be back to normal, everything would be… Karin's brain seemed to be on its own now, separated from the burning and all the blazing blood. Ichigo would hit Isshin in the face, and Isshin would praise him for it. Rukia would be in the kitchen with Yuzu, making food in the shape of rabbits. Masaki would be laughing at her son and husband, and Karin would be there… she would be there…

She felt as though she was falling through a weightless, waterless ocean to some unknown precipice. Karin felt unexplainably peaceful about it all, and tried to see in her minds' eye, but it just wasn't happening. No.

And then…

* * *

It was sunny outside at the playground. The swings were moving back and forth slowly in the breeze, and a few kids giggled as they ran by. Karin raised her eyebrows – maybe she had been sleeping… and then she saw her hands, the transparent, fluid hands. She felt as if there were an underlying part of her now, one a little morbid and spectral. _Oh, damn. I'm a ghost now. Well, that didn't take long._

Karin wondered what would happen now. Probably nothing. Maybe something. It all depended on the Shinigami, right? When would one perform a… uhm, change thing on her? Her hair felt like silk on her shoulders, which were light and weightless. She felt like floating – which she probably could, if she wanted to. Her soccer uniform was still on her frame, her undamaged body. This body had never met the truck. This body… was a new one.

She let out an amazingly wispy, clean breath. She was a Soul. It was an interesting thing to think about. No longer human, but not a Shinigami. Limbo. Karin stood there for a few moments, wondering what do with herself. And then it came to her. _Dad and Ichigo can still see you. Dad and Ichigo are Shinigami. _The prospect was practical, but very cliché and somehow unappealing to the newest Soul of Karakura Town. But she had to do what she had to do, right?

Karin lifted her new, feathery arm and rolled it around in its socket, feeling no pleasure nor pain from the stretch. Of course not, because this arm was new. The socket was new… and she was dead. Dead. It had a spooky air to it, and that didn't please her either. Kurosaki Karin was not one for drama. She took a cautious step and found her new gait nimble, muted from stress or clumsiness. She was lighter than air, soft as a bird, and would appear clear to anyone with the slightest reiatsu who saw her.

Kurosaki Karin found herself confused. She pondered Ichigo, and his face when he saw her. And then something hit her. _If I go to Soul-whatever, maybe I can be a… no, they're jackasses. There's no way I'd wanna do that. _But maybe it wasn't about Ichigo. She could impress others. Like Yuzu… her dad… and perhaps Toshiro…

_We'll see, _Karin told her inner mind.

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**A little fast-paced for my taste (and I'm sure your taste, as well) but the chap was fun to write, and I think I did okay. The next one should be better AND longer, I will make sure this happens myself, believe me. And I will personally reply to each review! I am not gonna be antisocial for once in my life! Yay socialness! (which isn't a word, but whatever). I'd really, really enjoy it if you review. Please, please, please. :D thanks for reading.**

**Nihongo Lesson!**

**NAMEKUJI – **SLUG.**  
**_**I only know this because in the latest Shinigami's Cup, Ichigo and Renji went to the Silver Dragonfly Sunglasses store. Ichigo's somehow inept at reading Japanese, so when asked by Renji which bug he thought wore sunglasses, Ichigo replied, "A SLUG!" (WTF?)**_

**Bye! :D  
**

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